Target: Pichi Pichi Pitch
by Wammyman
Summary: As part of a student exchange program, Kaito and Tsuna switch schools with eachother. Little do either of them know of the wacky new lives they'll live. From the author of Death Note: The Ryuk Chronicles.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Reborn or Mermaid Melody**

Chapter 1: Rescue

It was a warm and peaceful afternoon on the beach. The waves quietly rolled onto the shoreline. Tsuna was lying in the sand beside his best friends, Gokudera and Yamamoto. They embraced the sun's heat that beat on their skin as breeze gently blew through their hair. Little did the three friends know that Tsuna's mentor, Reborn, had other plans.

Reborn walked up to the top of Tsuna's head and kicked it with his tiny leg.

"Wake up slacker, it's time for training," Reborn shouted in his baby voice. Tsuna shot up in pain.

"Oww," he rubbed his head, "Reborn, what was that for!"

"This is a training exercise to expect the unexpected, even in the most peaceful of times." Gokudera shot up and clutched a fist at his side, "fear not tenth, for as your right-hand man, I will always help you through thick and thin." Yamamoto got up and flexed his muscles.

"Alright, we're playing another Mafia game. What did you have in mind for us today little guy," Yamamoto asked in a carefree yet clueless attitude.

"See for yourself," Reborn replied pointing in another direction. The boys looked in that direction to see a girl with black hair in a ponytail, wearing a one-piece pink swimsuit running toward them. When the girl approached the boys she shouted, "Tsuna-kun, help, quick!"

"Haru, what's wrong," Tsuna asked confused.

"Well, Kyoko and I were walking on the beach when we saw two fishermen illegally catching the most adorable little dolphin. When they saw us we tried to run to the police but they got Kyoko!"

"What, they got Kyoko!"

"Yes!"

Gokudera grabbed a stick of dynamite from his bathing suit pocket and said, "Come on tenth, let's show those guys what happens when you mess with us."

"Yeah," Yamamoto replied in a serious tone. Reborn hopped onto Tsuna's shoulder and said, "Time's a wasting; let's catch 'em while we can."

So the gang ran off to the fishing boat. Once there, they saw two men loading up the boat. There was a snow white dolphin in a fish tank and a girl with short, light brown hair that was tied to the mast with her mouth wrapped in cloth to keep her silent.

"Kyoko-Chan," Tsuna screamed with wide eyes.

"Shit," cried one of the fishermen, "some people found us, let's beat it!"

"Oh no," Tsuna cried, "what are gonna do!" Reborn jumped off Tsuna's shoulder, had his pet chameleon, Leon, transform into a gun and said, "Save her and the dolphin, with your dying will." So Reborn shot Tsuna with a red bullet. Tsuna fell to the ground. Suddenly, a flame sprouted from Tsuna's forehead. Then he leaped into the air and landed.

"Reeeborn," he shouted, "I'll save Kyoko-Chan and the dolphin with my dying will!"

So Tsuna sprinted onward to the boat. Once onboard, the two fishermen charged straight toward Tsuna. But Tsuna just grabbed them by their heads and bashed them together, instantly knocking them out. After that, Tsuna hoisted the fish tank and dumped the dolphin back into the sea. Then Tsuna ripped Kyoko's ropes right off of her, yanked the cloth off her mouth, and carried her back to shore. After reaching the shore, the flame on Tsuna's forehead died, he was back to normal.

"Tsuna-kun," Kyoko said in Tsuna's arms, "thank you," she blushed. Tsuna started blushing, "Uhh, yeah no problem, anytime," Tsuna gently set Kyoko back on her feet.

Gokudera and the others showed up soon after.

"Way to go Tsuna," Yamamoto said patting Tsuna on the back.

"You were as amazing as ever tenth," Gokudera cheered inches away from Tsuna's face.

"It is noble deeds like these that make Haru love Tsuna-kun even more," declared Haru.

"You have done well Tsuna," Reborn grinned.

"Hey, how about we have sushi at my place to celebrate," Yamamoto suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Tsuna replied. So everyone headed over to Yamamoto's to celebrate. However, Reborn stayed behind. He was talking to the dolphin Tsuna just saved with his special powers.

"Are you alright," asked Reborn.

"Better, I'm great thanks to that human," the dolphin replied.

"He's actually my student. I'd say he's coming along well."

"I'll say. It's humans like him that are praised by the mermaid princesses."

"Mermaid Princesses," Reborn repeated with curiosity.

"Yeah," the dolphin replied, "three of them took on human form and live in a small town down south."

"So the myths are true," Reborn clutched a fist under his chin. Then the dolphin realized that he just exposed a secret that he should never reveal.

"Ohh, uhh, no they're not, I lied, bye." Then the dolphin quickly dived into the ocean and swam away.

"Mermaids living on the surface," Reborn thought out loud, "fascinating."

Later that night, almost everyone was asleep at Tsuna's house. Reborn quietly entered the house. He wore his usual black suit and orange stripped fedora, with Leon resting on top. The baby snuck into the attic and lit a candle from his pocket. He laid out some newspaper articles and opened a book titled "Legends of Mermaids."

"I need to investigate these creatures," Reborn said to himself. Then he began to do so.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wammyman: I apologize if I took too long to update.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Reborn or Mermaid Melody.**

Chapter 2: Exchange Program

The next day, Tsuna arrived home after a long day at school. Yamamoto and Gokudera followed Tsuna inside to do homework together. On their way up to Tsuna's room, a little boy with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes approached them.

"Tsuna-ni," the boy asked, "will you play with me?"

"Sorry Fuuta," Tsuna apologized, "but I have homework. Maybe later."

"Aww," Fuuta sighed, "well, I guess I can't blame you. After all, Japanese students are ranked number one in 'students in the world with the least amount of free time'. See you later Tsuna-ni."

So then the boys continued onward to Tsuna's room. When Tsuna opened the door, his mother was there packing a suitcase.

"Mom, what are you doing," Tsuna asked confused.

"Why, I'm packing your things for your trip," his mother answered.

"Trip? Where am I going?" Suddenly, Reborn leaped onto the window sill.

"I have taken the liberty of signing you up for the student exchange program," said the baby.

"What, you mean I'm going to be in some foreign country all by myself," Tsuna screamed while dropping his things.

"No no, you're just going to be staying in a small town down south for a month. Also, Gokudera, Yamamoto, and I will accompany you."

"Oh," Tsuna sighed, "that's a relief."

"Alright, a whole month with just the four of us, what fun," Yamamoto said pumped.

"I knew Reborn would never separate us tenth," Gokudera declared, "for as your right-hand man, I will follow you to the farthest reaches of the earth!"

"Our train leaves in two hours," Reborn interrupted, "you two better go pack now."

"Waah, so soon," Tsuna cried. So Yamamoto and Gokudera rushed out of the house to go pack their things. Then Reborn handed Tsuna a pencil and a piece of paper.

"What are these for," Tsuna asked.

"They're for your welcome letter to your exchange partner," the infant replied.

"Exchange partner?"

"Yes, in this program you will be living the life of someone else. In your case, you'll be switching lives with a boy named Kaito Domoto."

"What," Tsuna screamed, "some stranger's gonna live in my house for a month! Mom, are you seriously okay with this!"

"Of course I am," the mother replied, "being in a new school surrounded by new people will be good for you. Plus it could be fun to meet this Kaito boy."

"Well, then who are Yamamoto's and Gokudera's exchange partners?"

"They don't have any," Reborn answered, "there just happened to be a couple of classroom openings since two other boys won a month long trip to Mafia Land."

"Oh really," Tsuna said knowing that it was Reborn's doing.

"There all set," Tsuna's mother closed the suitcase. So then the mother and Reborn left the room while Tsuna sat down at the small table beside his bed and began to write his letter.

Meanwhile, a young man in a small town down south was preparing for a departure. The man licked an envelop shut and dropped it on the coffee table in his living room.

"Kaito," said a teenage girl entering while carrying a suitcase, "I finished packing your things."

"Thanks Lucia," the young man replied, "just put it by the front door." Lucia did so.

"Kaito," Lucia asked, "How long will you be gone?"

"About a month."

"Oh and where will you be going?"

"In a town up north called," Kaito unfolded a piece of paper in his pocket, "Namimori."

"So do you need me to look after your house?"

"No my exchange partner," Kaito looked at the piece of paper again, "Tsunayoshi Sawada will be staying here."

"Are you sure it's okay to have some stranger live in your house," Lucia asked worried.

"Don't worry Lucia," Kaito rested his hand on Lucia's shoulder, "it's all part of the exchange program."

"That's another thing," Lucia brushed Kaito's hand off, "how can you be part of a student exchange program you never signed up for?"

"I don't know, some things just happen," Kaito shrugged.

"Kaito, do you really want to do this?" Kaito looked into Lucia's big brown eyes.

"No, I'd rather live it up in Mafia Land with Kyoshi and Roy," Kaito chuckled.

"Kaito you idiot," Lucia slapped Kaito upside his head.

"What?"

"If you're so excited to leave me then why don't you just live in this Namimori place forever," Lucia stomped over to the front door.

"Lucia, wait." But it was too late. Lucia had already left the house in a huff.

"Oh boy," he thought, "she's gonna give Tsunayoshi a hard time." Then Kaito looked up at the clock in his kitchen.

"Aw shit," he exclaimed, "I gotta catch my train!" So Kaito grabbed his ticket off of his counter, then grabbed his suitcase and ran out the front door. He left his door closed and unlocked so his exchange partner could get in.


	3. Chapter 3

**Wammyman: I am very, very, very sorry that I took this long to update. Adding to my explanation in my Ryuk Chronicles I also had to attend a wedding and help move my elder sister into college. I miss her dearly T_T. All in all, thank you for your patience and enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Reborn or Mermaid Melody.**

Chapter 3: Tsuna's New Life

After the boys finished packing their things, they headed over to the train station. They made it there with minutes to spare. The boys' families waited for the train alongside them.

"Aren't you excited Tsuna," his mother nudged him.

"Actually, I'm kinda nervous," Tsuna answered, "but as long as Gokudera and Yamamoto are coming, it'll be fine." Reborn jumped onto Tsuna's shoulder, "don't worry Tsuna, it's just for a month."

"Yeah, and besides," Yamamoto replied, "we could make all sorts of cool new friends." Reborn smirked at this comment.

"Have no fear tenth," Gokudera grabbed Tsuna by his other shoulder, "for I shall always remain by your side. And if there's anyone who wants to hurt you, they'll have to go through me!"

"And me too," Yamamoto approached the group.

Suddenly, a train stopped in front of everyone.

"That's us," Reborn declared.

"Good-bye Yamamoto," Yamamoto's dad hugged him.

"Good-bye old man," Yamamoto replied.

"Farewell, Hayato," said a woman with long purple hair wearing goggles.

"Bye sis," Gokudera muttered with little affection.

"Good-bye Tsuna," the mother hugged him tightly.

"Bye mom, I love you," said Tsuna. Then a toddler with an afro dressed as a cow shouted, "Have fun while you're away no good-Tsuna. Lambo's gonna take your room!"

"Lambo," scolded another toddler dressed in Chinese clothing, "Tsuna's room is for Kaito!" The two toddlers then started fighting.

"Lambo, I-pin," the mother broke up the fight, "don't fight right before Tsuna leaves."

"Good-bye, Tsuna-ni," Fuuta hugged Tsuna's leg.

"Bye Fuuta," Tsuna patted his head. So then the boys carried their suitcases as they boarded the train. Tsuna carried Reborn's suitcase for him. Then the train set off into the night, abandoning all the people waving good-bye.

Once onboard, the boys set their suitcases on the racks above their seats. Gokudera and Yamamoto sat next to each other behind the seats Tsuna and Reborn sat in.

"Hey Reborn," Tsuna asked, "When's Kaito supposed to get here?"

"His train should be stopping in Namimori momentarily," Reborn answered.

"I hope I gave him enough tips to help him stay out of trouble. Do you think he'll be okay Reborn?" Tsuna looked beside him to find a sleeping Reborn. He smiled and decided not to wake Reborn. Then he held the ring that hung around his neck and admired it. The ring had the word "Vongola" engraved on the front within a blue sphere. A word that Tsuna despised so much. As Tsuna leaned back in his seat, he figured that this exchange program was a blessing. Now that he and his guardians defeated the Varia squad, he could finally live a normal life, or at least pretend to. He could pretend that he was a normal kid. Pretend that his tutor wasn't some psychotic hit man; pretend that Gokudera didn't always carry dynamite with him, pretend that Bianchi, Gokudera's sister, didn't cook poisonous food, pretend that he never met Lambo's future self, pretend that he didn't know any illusionists, pretend that he doesn't run around in his underpants to solve his problems, and most of all, pretend that he wasn't the tenth generation mafia boss of the Vongola family. For at least one month, Tsuna would pretend to be a normal middle school student.

Two hours later, the train stopped.

"Well fellas," said Reborn, "this is where we get off."

"Oh good," Tsuna yawned, "I was about to fall asleep." So then the gang grabbed their belongings, and headed out to the station. Once there, Tsuna and the others searched for Kaito's parents.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Domoto," Tsuna shouted, "It's me, Tsuna. I'm part of the student exchange program!"

"Domotos," Yamamoto yelled, "are you guys here?" Gokudera growled, "how dare the Domoto family disrespect the tenth by not giving him a warm welcome! This is unforgivable!"

"Gokudera, calm down," said Tsuna, "they probably just got tired and went home early."

"It's a good thing I have the Domotos' address on me," Reborn announced taking out a folded piece of paper, "we'll just have to find the house we're staying at by ourselves." After receiving a map from the front desk, the boys hiked into the night to find the Domoto household. It wasn't until about half an hour later that the gang finally found it. Tsuna opened the door upon discovering that it was unlocked. The boys found it rather unusual for a family to just leave their front door unlocked at night. For doing so would allow anyone to simply waltz right in, and rob the estate.

Upon entering, Gokudera flipped on the light switch, thus revealing the great indoors.

"Pretty nice place here," Yamamoto commented.

"Sure is," Tsuna agreed.

"That doesn't excuse the Domotos for not picking us up," Gokudera hissed.

"Now, now," Yamamoto tried to calm Gokudera, "Kaito's parents probably just work late, that's all." Suddenly, Tsuna spotted a closed envelop on the coffee table in front of the couch. Tsuna grabbed the envelop.

"This should shine some light on it," Tsuna opened the envelop before taking out the letter inside.

"Well, what's it say," Reborn asked. Tsuna read the letter out loud, "Dear Tsunayoshi,

I welcome you to my humble home. What's mine is yours. If you're wondering where my parents are, they're dead. They were killed in a shipwreck when I was little. So I hope you can take care of yourself. If you can't, just ask my friend Lucia for help. She's very helpful and reliable. Plus, she makes a mean bento. I hope you enjoy your stay here.

Sincerely,

Kaito Domoto.

PS: If you see any mermaids, please let me know, no questions asked. Thanks."

"Wow," Yamamoto said saddened, "I can't believe he lost his parents at such a young age. I feel kind of sorry for him."

"Yeah," said Tsuna, "he somehow has to get by all by himself."

"I take back every mean thing I said about the Domotos," Gokudera leaned his head down.

"But what do you think the mermaid thing is about," asked a puzzled Yamamoto.

"I don't know," Reborn interrupted, "but we should worry about that later. We need to figure out our sleeping arrangements. You guys have a big day tomorrow."

"Well, the tenth and Reborn get Kaito's room, that's for sure," Gokudera declared, "I'll take the guest room, and the baseball-idiot can sleep on the couch."

"Gokudera," Tsuna asked, "do you really think that's fair?"

"Don't worry Tsuna," Yamamoto took out a pillow and blanket from his suitcase, "it's okay."

"Well, alright, good night everyone."

"Night Tsuna," Yamamoto replied.

"Sleep well tenth," Gokudera waved.

So Gokudera and Yamamoto went their separate ways to change into their pajamas. Tsuna changed in the bathroom, while Reborn changed and set up his hammock in their room. When Tsuna entered the room, Reborn was already asleep. As Tsuna laid down on the bed, he thought to himself, "Well, tomorrow begins my new and hopefully 'normal' life." Soon afterwards Tsuna, along with Gokudera and Yamamoto fell fast asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Wammyman: I apologize for the delay. The educational system just simply isn't doing me any favors. I've decided to update since some people are following this story. I would greatly appreciate it if I received some reviews. If I do, I'll be motivated to try to update sooner. Thank you.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Reborn or Mermaid Melody.**

Chapter 4: A Good Breakfast

Throughout the night, Tsuna slept like a rock. It was easy for him to fall asleep in Kaito's comfortable bed. While asleep, Tsuna had a good feeling about this place. He also smiled at the opportunity for some normality, even if it was only for a month. Unfortunately, there was an unsubtle wake up call for Tsuna in the morning.

In the midst of his slumber, Tsuna heard a loud echo. Tsuna shot up wide awake. He looked ahead to see Reborn dressed in a bathrobe, standing in front of a large gong, holding his pet chameleon while it was shaped as a mallet.

"Good morning Tsuna," the baby announced, "it's time for breakfast." Tsuna checked the alarm clock at the side table. It read six-thirty am.

"Did you have to wake me up so early," Tsuna moaned.

"Well what do expect? You didn't set the alarm, and your classes start at eight."

"Woaah, that early," Tsuna cried as he ran out of the room. When Tsuna came into the kitchen, he saw that Yamamoto and Gokudera were already dressed and eating breakfast. Yamamoto was having a toasted bagel with cream cheese, and Gokudera was having a cheese omelet.

"Morning Tsuna," Yamamoto greeted.

"Good morning tenth," Gokudera waved with a fork in his hand.

"Good morning everyone," Tsuna grinned, "sorry I slept in, but better late than never, right? I guess I'd better start eating so we're not late for school."

"Don't worry tenth, I made your breakfast for you," Gokudera pointed to a plate on the table. When Tsuna sat down, he saw that on the plate were two pieces of toast covered with jelly, three crispy strips of bacon, and a hill of scrambled eggs with salt and pepper sprinkled on top. Tsuna's mouth began watering at the sight of the feast before him. Suddenly, Reborn swooped in and snatched the plate before Tsuna could even pick up his fork.

"Come on Reborn," Tsuna wined.

"Sorry Tsuna," Reborn replied, "but you should've learned by now that the Mafia is a dog eat dog world. Especially when supplies are low."

"What are you talking about," Tsuna asked walking up to the refrigerator to find something else to eat. When he opened the door, Tsuna saw only a carton of milk, a bag of apples, a stick of butter, and some slices of cheese. Tsuna was now speechless and bug-eyed.

"Uhh, yeah," Yamamoto confessed, "as you can see Tsuna, Gokudera and I kinda used up what little food Kaito has."

"How," Tsuna screamed.

"Well, you see tenth," Gokudera answered behind Tsuna, "I used the last of the eggs, and the baseball idiot here hogged all the cream cheese. But bear in mind, this guy didn't have much food to begin with."

"Look on the bright side," Yamamoto looked through the cabinets, "we can always have some mac and cheese, or some of these microwavable meals."

Reborn finished devouring his breakfast and said, "True, but not for long. If one person was staying here, they could make it last a little over a week, but between the four of us, it'll only last a couple days." Tsuna ran over to the envelop containing Kaito's letter, and poured everything out. Out flew the letter, about eighty-one thousand yen, and a picture of Kaito. Tsuna picked up the picture and studied it.

"So this is who I've switched lives with," Tsuna thought. Yamamoto and Gokudera shuffled over and studied the picture as well.

"Huh," said Yamamoto, "he seems like a pretty nice guy."

"If he was really nice he'd have left us with more money," said Gokudera putting the yen back on the coffee table.

Yamamoto looked up at the clock to see that it was ten to seven.

"Uh guys, we need to get ready fast!" Then Tsuna and Gokudera looked up at the clock and panicked. Tsuna raced upstairs to brush his teeth and throw some clothes on. Gokudera and Yamamoto got out three paper bags, and filled them with anything that could be eaten without being boiled. After Tsuna came back down stairs, Yamamoto and Gokudera sprinted to the bathroom to brush their teeth as well. Meanwhile, Tsuna took an apple and a few slices of cheese from the refrigerator, and gobbled them up for breakfast. In all this confusion, no one noticed Reborn slip the money into his jacket. Once Yamamoto and Gokudera came back down stairs, the boys grabbed their lunches, threw out their leftovers, and rushed out the door to school. After the boys left the house, Reborn locked the door.

"Tsk, tsk," he said.


	5. Chapter 5

**Wammyman: I am deeply sorry for the delay. For you see, I haven't had much free time until recently. For the past few months I have been in my school's production of "The Boys Next Door." After performing it at school we then had the honor of performing it at the Thespian festival. Plus, my teachers have no sympathy. Take my advice and never take an anatomy class. Please enjoy this new chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Reborn or Mermaid Melody.**

Chapter 5: New School and New People

It was seven o'clock when the boys hit the road. They were in a state of panic, with no clue as to where they should go.

"Anyone know what school to go or where it is," Yamamoto asked running.

"No," Tsuna yelped, "I thought Reborn told one of you guys!"

"The kid didn't say anything to me. Gokudera, did he tell you anything?"

"If he did, don't you think I would've said something ya baseball-nut," Gokudera hissed gasping for breath.

"Guys," Tsuna said exhausted, "we need to catch our breath and think."

"Sounds good to me," Yamamoto slowed down.

"Good idea tenth," Gokudera slowed down as well. Eventually, all three boys came to a complete stop.

Tsuna bent down as he checked his watch.

"Okay," he gasped for breath, "school starts in less than an hour, and we have no idea where our new school is." Suddenly, a boy rode his bike past the gang.

"I'll ask that guy for directions," Gokudera rushed to the boy and shouted, "Hey you, where's the nearest middle school!" Unfortunately, Gokudera's reckless behavior caused the boy to peddle faster, and farther away from the tired Gokudera, who simply couldn't keep running. Yamamoto looked to his left and saw a hotel.

"Hey guys," he said, "maybe someone in there knows where our new school is." So the boys headed into the hotel that was known to the town as the Pearl Piari.

The hotel lobby was empty. Not even an employee was in sight. Tsuna and Yamamoto assumed that most of the guests were asleep. Gokudera however, could tell that this place was a dump that received little business. Once the boys reached the front desk, Tsuna rang the bell.

"Hello," Tsuna called out, "is anyone here?"

"Hang on, I'm coming," said a womanly voice. Moments later, a woman approached the boys. She was in her late twenties, and had purple hair in a spiked ponytail.

"Welcome to the Pearl Piari," the woman greeted, "how may I help you?"

"Uhh yes, do you know where the nearest middle school is," Tsuna asked. The woman raised an eyebrow and answered, "The nearest middle school is in the next town, twenty miles west of here."

"Waa," Tsuna's jaw dropped, "who lives twenty miles away from their school!"

"Apparently you three."

"How does Kaito live like this," Tsuna shouted as he messed up his hair. Then the woman grew wide-eyed and asked, "Did you say Kaito? As in Kaito Domoto?"

"Yeah, why," Tsuna asked.

"He goes to the junior high school, which is about a ten minute walk that way," the woman pointed to her right, "which one of you guys is with the exchange program?" As the boys ran out the door Tsuna shouted, "We all are, thanks for the directions!"

"Wait," the woman called out. But it was too late; the boys had already left the hotel. Still, she couldn't help but wonder how three new boys could be coming to school when only one boy from here signed up for the exchange program.

It was then seven forty. Luckily, the boys knew where to go now. Suddenly, Tsuna realized something.

"Guys," he exclaimed, "we left all of our school supplies back at the house!"

"Well we can't go back now," Yamamoto said still running.

"We'll just have to borrow some stuff from the school," said Gokudera.

At seven forty-five the boys saw the front gates of their new school. This was a huge sigh of relief for the gang. So much so that Tsuna didn't notice the teacher right in front of him before bumping into him.

"Oh man," Tsuna apologized, "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright," the teacher patted Tsuna's head, "you three must be new here."

"Yeah, we are," Tsuna replied, "in fact we're actually part of the exchange program."

"Oh," said the teacher with a burst of surprise, "then it's a good thing I ran into you three, because I'm your new homeroom teacher."

"Great," Yamamoto smiled, "then can you help us get some supplies?"

"Of course," the teacher smiled back, "just follow me." So then the boys followed their new teacher into the school.

"Hey sensei," Tsuna asked, "What's your name?"

"Torou Mitsuki," the teacher replied.

Once inside the school, Torou had his new pupils change into their uniforms in the boys' locker room. The uniforms consisted of white collared button up shirts, blue dress pants, and black dress shoes with matching socks. Compared to the uniforms that they wore at Namimori, the boys found these to quite casual. When Tsuna and the others finished changing, Torou loaned them each a book bag with two new pencils inside. Mitsuki also supplied them with geometry textbooks for his class. After putting their clothes in their new lockers Torou showed to them, the boys followed their teacher to classroom two-c.

"You three wait here," Torou said, "come in once the bell rings so you can introduce yourselves." The boys nodded then Mitsuki headed into the classroom. Tsuna started to sweat a little.

"Well junior high," he thought, "here I come."

Meanwhile, Lucia was hanging out in classroom two-c with her two best friends.

"I wonder what kind of person Tsunayoshi's like," thought Lucia's blue-haired friend out loud.

"Probably a huge pervert who'll mess up Kaito's house and try to pick someone up," Lucia grumbled.

"Lucia, come on," scolded her green-haired friend, "Give the guy a chance. He could be really nice."

"And maybe even a really hot athlete," the blue-haired friend commented in a dreamy tone.

The bell rang so all the students took their seats. Soon after, Tsuna and his friends entered the classroom. All the girls looked at Yamamoto and Gokudera in awe. However, Lucia and her friends were confused. They thought that only one new student was coming, not three. Even so, Lucia kept a dirty look on her face for all of them.

"Good morning students," Torou announced, "as you can see we have three new students. They will be staying with us for the month as part of the student exchange program. You boys come up one at a time and introduce yourselves." Yamamoto stepped up as all the girls giggled then said, "Hi, I'm Takeshi Yamamoto. I'm from Namimori and I like to play baseball and mafia games with my best friends Gokudera and Tsuna. Oh, and I'm also an upcoming swordsman." The class applauded loudly.

"Well said Yamamoto. Take your seat right there next to Hanon," Torou pointed at the empty seat right next to Lucia's blue-haired friend. Yamamoto did so. Hanon could barely keep her excitement contained. Gokudera stepped up and shouted, "I'm Hayato Gokudera, better known as the tenth's right hand man. And if any of you want to hurt the tenth, you'll have to go through me first!" Very few students clapped.

"Well that was interesting. Gokudera, why don't you take your seat next to Lina," Torou pointed to the desk near Lucia's green-haired friend. Hayato did so.

"Oh great," Lina thought while rolling her eyes, "I get stuck with the obnoxious one." Gokudera scowled when he noticed Lina rolling her eyes. Finally, Tsuna stepped up, swallowed his fear and said, "Hello everyone, I'm Tsunayoshi Sawada, but you can call me Tsuna. I'm from Namimori like my friends Gokudera and Yamamoto." Suddenly, Tsuna noticed Lucia's dirty look. This caused fear to creep up from his throat.

"So while I'm here," he continued while shaking and sweating bullets, "I hope to make s-some new f-f-friends. T-Thank you." The class gave out a loud applause, which made Tsuna feel much better.

"Welcome to our class Tsuna. Now please take your seat right in front of Lucia," Torou pointed to the empty space right in front of the girl with that mean look on her face. Chills ran down Tsuna's spine. This is Lucia, the girl Kaito told him to go to if he needed help? Why was she scowling at him?

"Oh man," Tsuna thought as he took his seat, "my first day and already some one hates me. It's all down hill from here."

Three class periods later, it was time for lunch. Tsuna and his friends got their lunches from their lockers and headed for the roof of the school to eat.

"What a great day," commented Yamamoto, "our new teachers are really nice. Plus, they barely gave us any homework."

"And it's pretty easy," said Tsuna, "I was able to get most of it done by myself."

"This school seems to be picking up where our old school left off," said Gokudera, "but teaches it at a slower pace." When the boys stepped outside onto the roof, they were welcomed by a breath of fresh air, clear skies, and a gentle breeze. They saw everything from the beach with white sand and sparkling waters, to the hotel where they got directions, to the house where they were staying.

"I think we're gonna like it here," Tsuna grinned.

"I think we will too tenth," Gokudera place a hand on Tsuna's shoulder.

"I don't know about you guys but I'm starving," Yamamoto blurted out, "can we eat now?" Gokudera held up a fist at Yamamoto and shouted, "Way to go ya baseball-idiot, you just killed the moment!"

"Come on you guys," Tsuna asked softly, "can't we just eat and enjoy the view?" After hearing Tsuna's words Gokudera and Yamamoto calmed down and smiled. Then the boys sat down and dug into their lunch bags.

Meanwhile, back in the school, Hanon was dragging her friends up the stairs.

"Hanon," Lina asked slightly annoyed, "why do we have to eat on the roof?"

"Because," Hanon answered eagerly, "I think I saw Yamamoto go up there and I need you guys to back me up when I talk to him."

"If that Gokudera kid's up there I'm leaving," Lina protested, "I've had enough of his death threats, and I swear if I hear another 'tenth' praise, I don't know what I'll do."

"And I'm not eating with that Tsuna kid," Lucia hissed.

"Oh come on," Hanon begged, "I've done a lot for you guys. Can't you do this one thing for me?" By the time they reached the door, Lucia and Lina gave into Hanon's begging.

When the girls stepped onto the roof, a gentle breeze glided through their hair. They immediately noticed Tsuna and his friends eating their lunches. Gokudera was having some crackers, Yamamoto was eating two slices of white bread, and Tsuna was enjoying a peanut butter granola bar.

"Oh," said Hanon walking toward the boys with her friends, "we didn't know you three were already here." Lina and Gokudera both scowled at one another while Lucia scowled at Tsuna, who started to feel nauseous.

"It's okay," Tsuna got up, "we'll just find another place to eat."

"Oh no, it's okay," Hanon sat Tsuna down, "I'm sure we can all eat together."

"It's fine by me," said Yamamoto.

"I'll only do it if the tenth does it," Gokudera said. Lina clutched a fist.

"Well…alright," Tsuna finally agreed.

"Great," Hanon lightly sang, "so in case you don't already know I'm Hanon, this is Lucia, and this is Lina." Lucia and Lina each gave a slight wave when Hanon swayed her hand toward them.

"Nice to meet you," Tsuna replied, "I'm..."

"Oh we already know who you three are," Hanon cut Tsuna off and pointed at each of the boys, "you're Tsuna, you're Gokudera, and you're Yamamoto!"

"Great! Now that we've all been introduced, we can eat," said Yamamoto. So the girls sat down and began eating their lunches. Hanon sat in front of Yamamoto, Lina sat in front of Gokudera, and Lucia sat in front of Tsuna.

Soon after everyone sat down, Yamamoto finished his bread. So Hanon pulled out a stick of dumplings and said, "Here Yamamoto, you must still be hungry."

"Wow, thanks," Yamamoto took the stick of dumplings and ate one of them.

"Delicious," he said after swallowing.

"I'm glad you like it," Hanon blushed, "I made them myself." Meanwhile, Lucia was enjoying some rice balls. After completely devouring his granola bar, Tsuna asked, "Hey Lucia, can I have one of those?"

"No," Lucia turned her head away while chewing.

"What, why not," Tsuna whimpered. It was upon hearing Tsuna's stomach growl that Lucia started to show some sympathy.

"Here," she handed Tsuna a couple of rice balls.

"Thank you," said Tsuna before biting into one of the balls. After swallowing his first bite, Tsuna asked, "Lucia, by any chance did you make these?"

"Yes," Lucia raised an eyebrow, "why?"

"I'm just asking because this tastes great. Kaito was right about you." Lucia shoved her face in front of Tsuna's.

"Kaito talked about me," she said eagerly, "what'd he say!"

"That you're very helpful and reliable, and to come to you if we can't take care of ourselves," Tsuna replied after backing up a bit.

"And that you make a mean bento," Yamamoto added.

"Oh, well, you know, I try," Lucia blushed.

"So he basically told you guys to leech off us for the month," Lina interrupted.

"Have you ever had decent manners," Gokudera hissed.

"Have you ever got punched in the face," Lina hissed back.

"Say that again and I'll snap your neck," Gokudera stood up.

"I'd like to see you try," Lina stood up as well. Then Yamamoto got in between them.

"Come on guys," he said, "we're gonna be together for awhile, let's not start fighting now."

"Oh man," Tsuna thought, "this is gonna get ugly."

"Get outta the way baseball-idiot," shouted Gokudera.

"Let me at him," Lina shouted as well, "this dick's had it coming!"

"Say cheese," said the voice of an infant. Everyone looked up and saw a flash. When the flash faded, a camera was revealed. Behind the camera was none

other than Reborn.

"Aww, what an adorable little baby," Lucia and Hanon said with glittering eyes.

"Reborn, what are you doing here? And where'd you get that camera," Tsuna asked.

"I bought it with the money Kaito gave us so we can remember all the good times we'll have here," the infant replied.

"What! You spent all the money we had on a camera," Tsuna screamed.

"Of course not," Reborn answered as Tsuna sighed in relief, "I had to use the rest to pay the cab driver for taking me here."

"Reeborn," Tsuna yelled, "how could you!"

"Smooth move leaving your money where a baby could get it," Lina teased.

"Shut up you," Gokudera shouted.

"You shut up!"

"Don't worry," said Hanon, "you guys can stay with us when you run out of food if you want."

"Thank you for the offer but that won't be necessary," Reborn said while opening a flyer. Everyone bent down to study it.

"There's a surfing contest tomorrow," said Tsuna.

"And the winner gets five-hundred thousand yen," Hanon exclaimed.

"Kaito was going to be in this contest," Lucia sighed.

"And I just signed up Tsuna for it," smirked Reborn.

"Wahh," Tsuna jumped back, "but I can't surf!"

"Then learn," Reborn said before kicking Tsuna to the ground.

"Tsuna," Lucia ran over to him, "are you okay?"

"Yeah," Tsuna weakly moaned as Lucia helped him up.

"Get up on your own," Reborn punched Tsuna hard on the cheek. Lucia bent down and scolded, "Reborn, you have no right to treat Tsuna like that."

"Sure I do," Reborn replied, "I'm his at home tutor."

"What does that have to do with anything," Lucia got closer to Reborn.

Suddenly, Lucia's pendant and Reborn's pacifier glowed in reaction to one another. This caused Hanon's and Lina's pendants to glow as well. Lucia quickly backed away, which caused the glowing to stop.

"Huh," said Yamamoto puzzled, "that was weird."

"Hmm, there's something fishy about these girls," Gokudera thought.

It was then that the bell rang.

"Aw shit," Hanon exclaimed, "we're late for class!" So everyone quickly packed up their things and ran back into the school. However, Reborn stayed behind.

"Her pendant looked identical to the picture in the book," he thought, "and the way they all glowed was too unusual. I'll need to do further investigating to be sure that those girls are what I think they are." Eventually, Reborn had Leon transform into a Han glider, then flew back to Kaito's house.


	6. Chapter 6

**Wammyman: I apologize for the delay. In an attempt to gain more of a reputation I started up another fanfic. Also, I have toured several universities. I also wished to write more of this tale in advance. Thank you for your patience. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Reborn or Mermaid Melody.**

Chapter 6: Surfing Practice

After three periods passed, the school day finally ended. Tsuna and his friends packed their belongings and returned to Kaito's house. In their attempt to enter the estate, the boys realized that the door was locked.

"Gaa," screamed Tsuna, "we were in such a hurry this morning that we must've locked the door and forgot the key!"

"Why don't you just knock," suggested Yamamoto, "the kid's probably inside so he'll let us in." So Tsuna knocked on the door and asked: "Reborn, are you in there?" There was no answer.

"Reborn," Tsuna spoke up and knocked harder. Still, there was no answer.

"Reeeborn," Tsuna howled while pounding the door, "come on, this isn't funny!" When that failed, Tsuna gave up and turned back to his friends.

"So what do we do no…" Tsuna's sentence was cut off when the door was slammed into his spine, causing Tsuna to unleash a great scream. Turning around, Tsuna saw Reborn on the other side.

"Reborn," Tsuna whined, "what was that for?"

"For being stupid," scolded Reborn, "it's common sense to take a key to your house with you before leaving that house."

"Sorry," said Tsuna fighting back the pain, "we were kind of in a hurry."

"That's no excuse," said Reborn throwing the house key in Tsuna's face. Tsuna caught the key in his hand and in an annoyed tone said: "Alright, fine! Just lets us in so we can do our homework."

"Forget about that," said Reborn, "you need to practice for the contest tomorrow."

"I'm not entering that contest," hissed Tsuna.

"Do you want to starve to death," asked Reborn in a serious tone. Hearing that made Tsuna remember the empty fridge and the light meals he's eaten today. It also made his stomach growl.

"Alright," Tsuna gave in, "I'll do it." Reborn smiled.

"Come on Tenth," said Gokudera, "let's see if Kaito has any surfing gear you can use."

When the boys entered the house, they began their search for anything Tsuna could use. It didn't take long for Yamamoto to discover a closed door that was never explored.

"Hey guys," he called out, "there might be some stuff in here." Tsuna and Gokudera stood beside Yamamoto as he wrapped his fingers around the golden knob. Once the door was open, four giant surfboards and a jumpsuit flew out onto the floor. Luckily, the gang didn't get hurt when the boards knocked them down.

"Sheesh," said Gokudera digging himself out, "does he have enough of these things?"

"It does seem like a lot," Tsuna replied, "but at least now I have what I need for the contest." So Tsuna changed into the black and red surf suit in the bathroom. It felt tight on his skin and was a little big on him, so he had to roll up all the openings. He then grabbed the long, yellow surfboard and headed out to the beach. Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Reborn followed Tsuna.

When the gang reached the beach, Tsuna planted his surfboard into the cool, soft sand. The wind blew gently on Tsuna's flesh with a hint scent of the salty sea. Tsuna stared out into the sapphire ocean that forged a wave almost as big as a mountain. A wave that size made Tsuna feel queasy.

"So," asked Tsuna attempting not to purge, "how exactly am I supposed to do this?"

"It's easy," said Yamamoto taking the surfboard to demonstrate, "you paddle out, turn around to wait for a wave. Then when a wave comes, you stand up and balance yourself to ride the wave. I've seen my cousin do it a bunch of times."

"There's more to it than that ya baseball-nut," Gokudera yelled hissed, "It's all about physics. Don't worry Tenth; I'll make all the necessary calculations for you." With that, Gokudera took out a notebook from his book bag and proceeded to scribbling formulas.

"Tsuna," said Reborn, "the only way to get good at surfing is to get out there and do it." Knowing that the infant was right, Tsuna attached the surfboard's strap to his ankle, and made his way into the ocean.

Tsuna was freezing from the first step into the sea. Most of his body was stinging with chills. But after awhile, he sucked it up and began paddling. The wind blowing across his moist body almost made Tsuna shiver. Regardless, Tsuna kept going. His friends were counting on him to win the contest. For if he lost, he and the others would starve. With these thoughts in the back of his mind, Tsuna was determined to master surfing.

While paddling in the middle of the ocean, Tsuna saw a large shark fin swimming straight at him. This made Tsuna scream with fear and paddle away as fast as he could. Tsuna kept checking behind himself to make sure he was far away from the fin. Suddenly, Tsuna heard Yamamoto's voice shout out: "Tsuna, get ready for the wave!" Upon looking to his right, Tsuna saw a humongous wave that was ready to engulf him. As the wave crashed, Tsuna plummeted under the water. Fortunately, he was strapped to his board which enabled him to come back to the surface. Once he resurfaced, Tsuna climbed back onto his board. He then noticed that the shark fin was still after him. So Tsuna started paddling and screaming once again. Meanwhile back on land, Reborn was watching Tsuna while holding a controller. The infant kept pushing the joystick in the direction Tsuna was paddling.

"Come on ya big baby," he muttered, "focus on the waves." However, Tsuna just kept paddling and screaming loud enough for everyone to hear.

One person who heard Tsuna's screams was the purple-haired woman in the Pearl Piari. The woman saw Tsuna paddling through a window in the hotel's dining area that she was sweeping.

"What on earth is he doing," thought the woman out loud.

"What are looking at Nikora," asked Hanon entering the room.

"It looks like one of those new boys at your school is trying to surf," answered the woman.

"Whaaat," shrieked Lucia entering the room. Lucia and Hanon both looked out the window.

"Tsuna's using Kaito's surfboard," Lucia exclaimed covering her mouth.

"Yamamoto's out there too," shrieked Hanon with excitement.

"I gotta get out there," screamed Lucia rushing out of the hotel.

"I gotta go too," said Hanon before leaving, "this is the perfect chance to talk to Yamamoto!"

"Oh boy," sighed Lina, "I guess I'd better go too."

"Why," asked Nikora sarcastically, "so you can have a little chat with that 'other' boy?"

"Ew, gross, no way," hissed Lina defensibly, "I'm going because someone has to make sure Lucia doesn't bite Tsuna's head off." With that, Lina exited the Pearl Piari.

Lucia and Hanon got onto the beach in seconds while Lina took her time.

"Yamamoto," shouted Hanon happily, "what are you doing here?"

"Hey Lucia, Hanon," greeted Yamamoto after turning around, "I came to watch Tsuna practice surfing for the contest tomorrow."

"Is that Kaito's surfboard," asked a worried Lucia.

"Uh, yeah, it is," said Yamamoto with a hand behind his head, "we kind of need to borrow it."

"He can't use that," screamed Lucia about to rush out to sea. Lucky for Tsuna, Lina managed to get a grip on Lucia.

"Then what's he supposed to do," asked Lina, "he has no money to buy his own surfboard, and he needs the winnings for food. Or would you rather have him and his friends starve to death." Lucia thought it over and realized her friend was right.

"Fine," she sighed, "I guess it's okay for him to borrow Kaito's things."

"Don't worry Lucia," Reborn replied, "I'll make sure Tsuna doesn't even scratch that board." Hearing that made Lucia feel a little better. Out in the ocean, the shark fin suddenly froze. When Tsuna paddled over and touched the fin it felt like plastic. Tsuna picked up the fin and noticed a motor with a propeller attached to the fin.

"REBOOORN," Tsuna yelled to the heavens.

"Wow," said Reborn unscrewing his controller, "these batteries sure died quick."

Tsuna came back to shore all in a huff.

"Can you quit fooling around and help me learn how to surf," he barked to Reborn.

"Relax," said Reborn, "all you need is someone to go out there with for support. Lucia, Hanon, Lina, are any of you up for it?"

"Uh, no thanks," answered Lucia, "we don't have surfboards."

"That's okay," smirked Reborn, "Kaito has spares."

"Well, you see," said Lina, "none of us know how to surf either."

"That's alright," assured Tsuna, "we can learn together." Reborn's smile grew bigger at that comment.

"But we can't go into the water," said Lina.

"Why not," asked Tsuna confused. The girls grew silent with no idea what to say next.

"Well," Lucia tried to answer, "because, because…"

"Because we just ate," Hanon blurted out, "and we have to wait an hour before swimming."

"And I can't swim," Lucia added. Reborn easily digested the information hidden between the words Lucia and Hanon just said.

"It doesn't matter," Gokudera declared approaching the group, "for I've just completed the calculations that'll help you win no problem." It was then that Gokudera showed Tsuna the contents of his notebook. Inside the book was a series of complicated formulas and stick figure drawings. Lina peaked into the notebook as well.

"He's trying to ride a surfboard, not fly a spaceship," hissed Lina.

"I don't see you helping the Tenth," growled Gokudera.

"You know Lina," suggested Reborn, "you could always go out there with Tsuna."

"No, really, I can't," said Lina carefully.

"Come on," said Reborn shuffling over to the ocean, "the water's fine." Then Reborn tossed some seawater in Lina's direction. In seconds Lina jumped out of the way so the water only stained the sand.

"What, are you afraid of the water," asked Reborn.

"No," answered Lina, "this uniform happens to be dry-clean only."

"Since when," Gokudera cut in. It didn't take long for an argument between Gokudera and Lina to get going. However, Tsuna was becoming impatient.

"Can we just get back to teaching me how to surf," he asked very loudly, "this suit's starting to creep up on me!"

"Tsuna," asked Hanon, "you know you have to wear a bathing suit underneath that, right?"

"I am," asked Tsuna frozen. All there girls grew wide-eyed.

"You didn't put anything on underneath," exclaimed Lina. Tsuna's face glowed red as he shook his head.

"So the only thing between you and us," concluded Hanon, "is a patch of rubber."

"Eeeeew," shrieked Lucia.

Suddenly, Tsuna saw a flash.

"Reborn," he exclaimed, "why would you take a picture at a time like this?"

"So that we never forget this moment," Reborn replied.

"Arggh," Tsuna grumbled as he grabbed Kaito's board and paddled out to sea. In the ocean it took Tsuna ten tries to finally catch a wave. After that Tsuna wiped constantly by falling off in every possible direction. Other times, he simply slipped off.

Back at the beach, Reborn was talking to a seagull, Hanon was chatting with Yamamoto, Gokudera and Lina were scowling at each other, and Lucia watched Tsuna with concern.

"Why is he doing this when he obviously stinks," asked Lucia.

"Because that's the kind of guy Tsuna is," answered Yamamoto, "he's always watched out for us and protected us. And just like now, he does what he can to help us."

"That's right," declared Gokudera, "the Tenth is putting himself at risk for our sake, just as we do for him when the time comes!"

"Will you quit calling him Tenth," said Lina annoyed, "he has a name you know."

"Never," barked Gokudera.

While Lina and Gokudera resumed bickering at one another, Lucia kept watching Tsuna as she pondered on what his friends just said.

"He's doing this for the sake of his friends," she thought. This made Lucia realize that she was wrong about Tsuna. For anyone who was willing to call someone as obnoxious as Gokudera a "friend", take physical abuse from a baby, and attempt to master a dangerous sport in a day couldn't be a bad person. Now she hoped that Tsuna would accomplish his goal. As Tsuna climbed back onto the board, he thought: "I can't give up. Yamamoto and Gokudera are counting on me."

Suddenly, Tsuna felt something fall into his hair. He tried to grab it and get it out. On his hand, Tsuna saw a white gooey substance that felt mushy. When he looked up, Tsuna saw a flock of seagulls swarming above him. His eyes widened as the gulls began their business. Tsuna put his hands in front of his face and braced himself screaming for the many plummeting droppings. Reborn then smirked feeling successful.

At this point, Tsuna was too pooped to continue surfing. So he paddled his way back to shore, wishing to call it a day. Little did Tsuna know that he was being watched. There was, what seemed to be, a woman peeking her head out of the water. She had white-blonde hair, bluish-grey eyes, very pale skin that was cool to the touch, and crystals sprouting out of the sides of her head. This "woman's" mind was conjuring up a devious plot.

"By the looks of things I'd say there's a surfing contest tomorrow," the woman thought, "and chances are the mermaid princesses will be watching. This'll be the perfect chance to catch them. I just need the right bait. And I'd say that clumsy little oaf is perfect." Satisfied with her plan, the woman dove back beneath waves before anyone could see her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Wammyman: I am so very, very, very, very sorry that I took this long to update. My life was cluttered with school, addictions to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword/Halo/Castle Crashers, and then more school. For those of you who are still reading, please review so I know. Also, stay tuned for two announcements at the end of the chapter. **

Chapter 7: Competition

When Tsuna returned to shore, he was exhausted from paddling, and covered in white goo from the waist up.

"Man, and you almost had it," sighed Yamamoto.

"Are you crazy? I wasn't even close," thought a depressed Tsuna.

"At this rate, you'll lose the competition for sure," concluded Lina.

"No, he won't," declared Gokudera, "the Tenth will find a way to win! He always does!"

"Stop calling him that," hissed Lina, "his name is Tsuna!"

"Don't tell me what to call the Tenth," roared Gokudera.

"Don't talk to Lina like that," said Lucia before slapping Hayato upside his head.

"Stay out of this," shouted Gokudera.

"No," glared Lucia.

"Come on guys," said Yamamoto, "don't fight over Tsuna's code name."

"Code name," asked Lina puzzled.

"Yeah, whenever we play Mafia, we use code names. Tsuna's 'The Tenth', I'm 'Baseball Idiot', our friend Ryohei is 'Lawn Head' and this other little guy who lives at Tsuna's is 'Stupid Cow'."

"Oh," said Lina.

"Well, we should be going home now," said Hanon, "it's getting late and it's awfully hot."

"Don't worry Hanon," said Reborn reaching into his pocket, "I have just the thing to cool you off." In his tiny hand, Reborn held a purple squirt bottle filled with water. Attached to the bottle were three pieces of yellow foam on a spinner.

"Uh, no thanks," Hanon put her hands out in front of her, "I don't wana get my hair wet."

"Suit yourself," said Reborn putting the bottle away.

"Well," said Lucia, "it's time for dinner, so we really should get going."

"Yeah," replied Tsuna, "plus I gotta get all this poop off of me."

"Right," said Lucia awkwardly, "see you guys tomorrow."

"Really," asked Tsuna, "what for?"

"Oh, just to support you for the contest."

"O-kay," said Tsuna surprised to hear what he just heard from someone he thought was his enemy, "see you tomorrow then."

After exchanging farewells, everyone parted ways. Back at the Pearl Piari, Nikoria finished preparing dinner.

"I made shrimp cocktail," she announced while presenting the meal to girls in the lobby.

"Thanks Oneesan," said Lucia taking one of the ruby glasses topped with deep fried shrimp.

"We'll eat in Lucia's room," said Lina snatching glasses for her and Hanon, "we need to finish our homework so we'll do it up there."

"Alright," Nikora replied, "just don't stay up all night." Within Lucia's room, Lucia and Hanon sat on the bed while Lina sat on the chair near Lucia's desk.

"I feel so sorry for Tsuna," said Hanon, "there's no way he's gonna win tomorrow."

"How would you know," asked Lucia, "you were just flirting with Yamamoto."

"Hey, I saw him wipe out," defended Hanon with a full mouth, "face it, he's screwed."

"You don't know that," protested Lucia.

"Face it Lucia, Tsuna can't surf to save his life. And when did you take his side? I thought you hated him."

"Well, I did," explained Lucia with a finger circling her glass, "but now, he seems like a pretty nice guy."

"Please," said Lina after swallowing her third piece of shrimp, "he has to be a saint for putting up with Hayato everyday. How Tsuna can be friends with such an arrogant loudmouth is beyond me. Ugh, I can't stand that guy."

"Oh really," asked a smirking Hanon.

"Yes, really."

"Sure you do," said Lucia sarcastically with a twinkling eye.

"Of course I do," said Lina slightly more annoyed.

"Then why'd you talk about him so much," asked Hanon. Lina's cheeks became crimson. Lucia and Hanon couldn't help but giggle. With her temples throbbing in annoyance, Lina hissed, "Look I hate him, got it!" The girls quickly bit their tongues in response. After cooling off, Lina said: "Anyway, we've got a bigger problem. That Reborn kid is on to our secret."

"I know," replied a nodding Hanon, "we went out of his way to try to get us into our mermaid forms."

"What do you think he wants with us," asked Lucia with great concern?

"I don't know," Lina answered, "but we're going to have to be careful around him. For all we know, he could be working for them." Both Lucia and Hanon gulped heavily, hoping that wasn't the case.

Meanwhile, over at Kaito's house, Tsuna and gang were eating macaroni and cheese in plastic bowls on the couch. By now, Tsuna was all cleaned up.

"Man, what a day," Tsuna sighed.

"I know," said Yamamoto, "it was pretty crazy, but at least we met those three nice girls."

"Yeah, I guess," said Tsuna with some doubt as he poured more noodles on his tongue.

"Please," muttered Gokudera, "the blue-haired one is an annoying flirt, the blonde one is a two faced brat, and Lina is snob."

"Hey, Gokudera," asked Yamamoto, "how come you only remember Lina's name?" This question made Hayato's cheeks glow pink.

"I-I just do," he finally answered.

"Uh, guys," said Tsuna to intervene, "how about we finish eating so we can take care of our homework?"

"Good thinking Tenth," responded Gokudera.

"Sounds like a plan," replied Yamamoto. To Tsuna's relief, his friends began chowing down. After a day like today, it felt great to be heard for once.

Up on the bed where Tsuna slept, Reborn was flipping through the pages of his book. Satisfied with what he found, Reborn examined the two pages that yellowed with age. Between these pages were three sketches from dark ink. The fist sketch was that of a closed clam attached to a thin wire. The second sketch revealed a dark dot inside an opened clam. The last sketch displayed a a sphere lightly shaded in black.

"It's just like what those three were wearing," thought Reborn, "and they also went out of their way not to get wet. There's no doubt about it; Lucia, Hanon and Lina are mermaid princesses." After flipping to new page, Reborn studied a sketch of an unusual symbol.

"The question now is: Where is this 'Panthalassa clan' hiding?"

The next day, Tsuna and his friends were at the beach. It was impossible to see any sand under the ocean of people crowding the area. Whoever wasn't in swim trunks or bikinis wore shorts and sleeveless shirts. Also, Reborn was nowhere to be found. Tsuna had the same surf board and jump suit that he had on yesterday, only this time, he had a bathing suit on underneath. After checking in, Tsuna received a large rectangular sticker with a red one on it.

"Just my luck," thought Tsuna, "I would be the one to go first." As Tsuna waited with his friends on the beach, Lucia and her friends somehow managed to find them.

"Yamamoto," shouted Hanon to get the boys' attention. After spotting the girls Yamamoto called out: "Hanon, it's great to see you here. Oh, and it's great to see you too Lucia and Lina."

"Thanks for coming," said Tsuna once the girls got close enough.

"No problem," replied Lucia, "it sure is a nice day. It's perfect for the contest." Suddenly, an announcer's voice echoed: "Surfers, please make your way to the shore line. The competition will begin in ten minutes."

"Well, that's me," announced Tsuna picking up his board, "see you guys later." After Tsuna's departure, the girls started walking away.

"Hey," asked Yamamoto, "where you guys going?"

"To change into our bathing suits," answered Lucia fanning herself, "we're roasting out here." After the girls left, Yamamoto nudged Gokudera with his elbow.

"Hey," he said rather quietly.

"What," asked an annoyed Gokudera.

"Do you think Hanon's into me?"

"Pf, yeah, she's crazy about you."

"Wow, really," asked Yamamoto staring up at the clear sky.

"About time you figured it out," replied Gokudera. For a few moments, Yamamoto was lost in deep thought.

"I think I might ask her out, then," he finally said.

"Oh brother," groaned Gokudera, "look idiot, I don't care about your love life, I'm here to support the Tenth."

"Yeah right," teased Yamamoto, "I bet you just wana see Lina in a bikini." A hint of red began to appear on Gokudera's cheeks.

"No, I don't! Now shut up," roared Gokudera at the laughing Yamamoto. Once Gokudera cooled down, he took a deep breath and said: "Besides, there's something weird about those three."

"What do you mean," asked Yamamoto?

"For starters," began Gokudera, "didn't you think it was a little strange how they tried really hard to not get wet? Even just a little wet?" Yamamoto pondered on his friend's words.

"Not really," he finally answered, "I mean, the water is pretty cold for one thing."

"Oh really," asked Gokudera, "then how do you explain the blonde girl's necklace glowing when it got near Reborn's pacifier?" Yamamoto hesitated to answer.

"Well," he finally said, "maybe they came from the same company and are supposed to do that."

"Oh my god," moaned Gokudera with his face hiding behind his palm.

"What," asked Yamamoto?

"Oh, just forget it," sighed Gokudera, "let's support the Tenth."

Over by the water, Tsuna was waiting with the other surfers when he heard a familiar voice.

"Tsuna," the voice called out, "Tsuna!" Tsuna turned around to see Lucia coming toward him. She was in a pink, one piece bathing suit.

"Lucia, what are you doing here," asked Tsuna?

"To wish you good luck," Lucia replied.

"Lucia, I'm confused."

"About what," she asked?

"Yesterday you were mean to me and now you're being nice to me. Why are you being nice now anyway?"

"Well," answered Lucia rubbing the back of her head, "I was quick to judge you yesterday, and I'm sorry for that. And after seeing how far you're willing to go for your friends I realize you're not the kind of person I thought you were. So, can we start over and be friends?" Tsuna grinned at the sight of Lucia's brown eyes filled with innocence.

"Yes," replied Tsuna, "I'd like that a lot."

"Great," cheered Lucia smiling.

Suddenly, a high pitched voice ordered: "Ma'am, if you're not a contestant, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Upon looking down, Tsuna and Lucia saw a very short man. He was in red swim trunks, wore sunglasses, had a chameleon resting on his shoulder, and had a white visor.

"Huh," sounded Lucia in confusion.

"Go on, move along," said the tiny man shooing Lucia away.

"Reborn," scolded Tsuna, "why'd you do that?"

"Because you're up first," answered the infant before kicking Tsuna in the gut and into the water, "now get ready."

With aftershocks lingering in his stomach and chills swarming on top of his flesh, Tsuna got onto his surfboard, and paddled out to sea. When Lucia met back up with Gokudera and Yamamoto, Hanon and Lina were there too. They each wore two piece bathing suits that matched the color of their hair. Although Hanon also wore a blue towel as a skirt while Lina did not.

"First up," echoed the announcer's voice, "a rookie surfer, Tsunayoshi Sawada!"

"Well, he's screwed," sighed Lina.

"Oh come on," defended Lucia, "he's not that bad."

"He's not that good either," said Hanon.

"Don't you dare insult the Tenth," howled Gokudera, "he'll prove both of you wrong and win! I know he will!"

"Yeah," said Lina with sarcastically, "and maybe pigs will fly out my ass." Lina's comment make Gokudera glare at her.

"I'd have to agree with Gokudera," said Yamamoto.

"How come," asked Hanon?

"Because," answered Yamamoto, "while Tsuna may not seem like much, he can really surprise people." As Tsuna rested on his board, he saw a towering wave approaching.

"I don't know if I can win," thought Tsuna, "but I have to try. For my friends' sake, I have to try."

Back on land, Reborn held Leon as a long rifle and said: "You'll win the contest with your dying will." After carefully aiming, Reborn fired a bolt of red that implanted itself into Tsuna's skull. Tsuna was out cold with a cheek against the dense wood of the surfboard. Seconds later, a flame sprouted out of Tsuna's forehead and his skin illuminated as he awakened.

"Reeeboooorrn," howled Tsuna sitting back up. As he flexed his muscles, the jump suit wore ripped into shreds, revealing his blue bathing suit.

"I'll surf with my dying will," he declared at the top of his lungs. Faster than a speed boat, Tsuna paddled toward the wave and braced himself. Once he got on the wave, Tsuna dazzled the audience with a series of flips and tailspins. As the head of the wave curled downward, Tsuna went underneath it at full speed. In a split second, Tsuna shot himself out of the watery tunnel and made a perfect landing. In the midst of Tsuna's ride, blonde hair began rising out of the wave. Luckily, Tsuna was surfing fast enough to where his board just knocked it back under the sea without Tsuna even noticing.

Eventually, the wave died along with the flame on Tsuna's head. The cheers and applauses from the crowd were music to Tsuna's ears. It was also a huge relief to him that he at least still had his bathing suit on. As Tsuna made his way back to the other contestants, Lucia's, Hanon's and Lina's jaws hung wide open. Gokudera gave off an arrogant smirk and checked behind Lina.

"Hey Lina," he gloated, "shouldn't pigs be flying out your ass?"

"Screw you," hissed Lina before slapping Hayato in the face. Hayato would have hit Lina back if Yamamoto hadn't been keeping a tight grip on his wrist.

As the hours passed by, the other contestants gave off remarkable performances. Throughout the remainder of the contest, Tsuna was sweating bullets, hoping the judges would favor him over the others. After the final wave's death, the judges gave a white envelop to the announcer.

"And the winner is," echoed the announcer tearing open the envelop which made Tsuna feel nauseous, "Tsunayoshi Sawada!"

"Waahooo," screamed Tsuna jumping for joy. After the announcement, the rest of the gang fought through the crowd of people to meet up with Tsuna.

"Way to go Tsuna," said Yamamoto.

"You were as amazing as ever Tenth," praised Gokudera.

"Hey, Tsuna," asked Hanon suspiciously, "how'd you get so good?"

"Well, I guess all that practice paid off," fibbed Tsuna.

"What happened to Kaito's suit," asked a very worried Lucia?

"I, tripped and fell on a rock," lied Tsuna some more, "then the suit ripped so I threw it away." Lucia scowled at Tsuna with disbelief.

"I'll buy him a new one," Tsuna assured.

"You'd better," scolded Lucia wiggling her finger. Once Tsuna recieved his golden grail and giant cardboard check, everyone posed around it so Reborn could take a picture. After the flash, Tsuna lost his balance and fell. Then everyone, except Goukdera, laughed.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the ocean, a pale woman with blonde hair and ice crystals growing out of the sides of her head was awakening. She touched the top of her head and felt a bump the size of an egg. This bump made the woman furious.

"Oh no," she growled to herself, "those damn mermaid princesses have already beaten me a million times, so like hell I'm gonna let a mere human get the best of me!" At the beginning of her rampage, the woman casted a spell toward the heavens. On land, people mistook it for a bolt of lightning. However, the winds began to pick up fast and carried the heat of a glacier. It didn't take long for it to start hailing as well. The boys tried to guide the girls to safety, but they were separated by the herd of panicking citizens.

"Lucia," shouted Tsuna with worry, "Lucia!"

"Hanon," hollered Yamamoto, "Hanon!"

"Tenth, we may need to split up to find them," suggested Gokudera loudly.

"Alright," replied Tsuna, "let's do it!"

So the boys split up to find the girls. It was a great struggle fighting through all the people running about. Tsuna almost lost his trophy in all the chaos.

"Lucia, Hanon, Lina," thought Tsuna, "where are you guys?" Little did Tsuna know that Lucia and her friends were standing a grand boulder, ready to dive into the ocean once no one was looking.

**Wammyman:**** I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm sorry again for how long it took to update. Now for my announcements. First, Toonmani is back. Tune into Adult Swim on Saturday nights. Toonami starts at midnight. Second, I have a poll set up on my account. If you want to see a sequel to this tale, go vote now. Voting ends when all my current stories in progress end. Also, please review. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Wammyman: I am so very very sorry for taking this long to update. My professors gave me way too much to do. Then I got a part-time job at a deli that works me at full-time hours. Then while at home I play video games or watch Attack on Titan and The Devil is a Part-Timer! I highly recommend them both by the way. Please enjoy this chapter.**

Chapter 8: Mermaids!

Eventually, the crowd disappeared. Unfortunately, there was still a lot of hail plummeting from the sky. Some of it even hit Tsuna on the head. After dropping his trophy and falling to his knees, Tsuna shouted: "How the heck am I supposed to find them!?" Reborn popped out of the trophy with his gun and replied: "with your dying will."

After being shot and knocked out, a flame sprouted on Tsuna's forehead. Tsuna jumped back up on his feet and howled: "Reeeeboorrn! I'll find those girls with my dying will!" Then Tsuna dashed off to the rescue. Soon after, Reborn had Leon transform into a tiny pick-up truck and put the trophy in the back.

"Now's the perfect time to see their true forms," thought Reborn with a smirk before driving after Tsuna.

While sprinting, Tsuna heard feminine screams from afar. Ready to take on a challenge, Tsuna hurried to the source of the screams. Upon arriving, Tsuna spotted four women. One woman was pale with blonde hair that surrounded a bump on her head while she wore a white dress. She also had crystals budding out of the sides of her head. The other three women, however, appeared to be quite strange. There was a woman with long green hair and matching eyes. Another woman had long, light-blue hair with gold stars in it along with aquamarine eyes. The last woman had gold blonde hair that was wrapped into two giant pigtails and had blue eyes. All three women shared one odd feature. They had fish-like tails where a person's legs should be. The first two women's tails matched the color of their hair while the blonde woman had a pink tail. Hiding the women's breasts were seashell bikini tops that matched their tails. Unfortunately for these women, their hands were cuffed behind their backs in ice. There were also several cuts on their bodies.

Still in dying will mode, Tsuna shouted: "Hey you, where are my friends!?" Tsuna's cry was enough to grab the pale woman's attention. After slowing turning around with narrow eyes, she screamed: "I'll kill you!" As if from nowhere, the woman launched a sharp shard of ice at Tsuna. Acting fast, Tsuna leaped out of the way.

"Stop wasting my time," roared Tsuna. So Tsuna rushed over to the woman who launched more shards of ice that shattered against Tsuna's flesh. Once he got close enough, Tsuna sent the woman flying into the clouds with one blow.

Satisfied with his victory, Tsuna focused his attention on the other three women.

"Have you seen my friends," he shouted.

"We'll tell you if you free us," said the blue-tailed woman struggling for freedom.

"Fine," yelled Tsuna grabbing a rock on the shore. Tsuna bashed the rock against the women's wrists, thus destroying the ice attached to them. Suddenly, Tsuna's flame disappeared, and he was back to normal. It was then that Tsuna realized what these women were.

"Ahh," shrieked Tsuna falling on his butt, "you're m-m-m…"

"Mermaids," finished the blue mermaid brushing off leftover ice.

"Hanon," cried Tsuna recognizing the mermaid's voice, "is that you!?"

"Hanon," asked the green mermaid in a voice familiar to Tsuna, "is that the name of one of your friends? Because that's not her name."

"Lina," Tsuna shrieked again.

"Um, I think you have the wrong people," said the blonde mermaid in the most familiar voice of all.

"Lucia," asked Tsuna in a high pitched voiced, "what happened to you guys!?"

"Seriously," said the blonde mermaid in a panic, "we don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, save it," said Reborn pulling in on his truck, "he figured you three out and so have I."

"Alright fine," said Lina with a sigh, "you got us."

"Tenth," Gokudera called out before entering the scene, "I couldn't find them anywhere, but I heard something from over here and…" His sentence trailed off once he saw the mermaids.

"Mermaids," he exclaimed before grabbing Lina's fins, "I can't believe it! A creature with human hands and a fish like tail! Next to aliens, these are the most amazing creatures in the world!"

"Hey, do you mind," Lina interjected before slipping her fins out of Gokudera's fingers, "I need these." Gokudera scowled.

"I'd know your voice anywhere Lina," he hissed, "and I bet these other two are those friends of yours." Lucia and Hanon sighed to prove Gokudera was right.

"I knew it," he declared, "You're all mermaids."

"Not just any mermaids," corrected Reborn, "they're mermaid princesses."

"Mermaid princesses," gasped Tsuna with a hanging jaw.

"Hey guys, did you find them," shouted Yamamoto before joining the rest of the gang.

When Yamamoto saw the three mermaids, he froze right in his tracks.

"Wow," said Yamamoto seemingly stunned, "Lucia, Hanon, Lina." Everyone remained silent.

"Those are really great costumes," he finished with a big grin. After hearing that, the rest of the gang had strange looks on their faces.

"Yamamoto," thought Tsuna.

"You really are," thought Hanon.

"The absolute," thought Lina.

"Biggest," thought Lucia.

"Idiot who ever lived," thought Gokudera after slamming his palm against his forehead. A moment later, everyone except Gokudera broke out in laughter. Once she calmed down, Lucia suggested: "Why don't you guys meet us at the Pearl Piari for dinner to celebrate Tsuna's victory?"

"That sounds great," Tsuna said with a smile, "I just need to get my prize money and change first."

"That's fine," replied Hanon, "we need to 'change' too before dinner."

Later in the evening, the boys returned to the Pearl Piari as the mermaids requested. Tsuna wore a casual shirt and blue jeans that contained a key to Kaito's house and a check with quite a few zeros on it. Once inside the hotel, the boys sat around a large, white circular table. The room they were in had a glass wall and ceiling that gave a perfect view of the gleaming stars and glowing full moon. Minutes after the boys sat down, the girls came in with plates of spaghetti and silverware.

"So, do you guys work here," asked Tsuna after receiving his plate.

"Actually," replied Lucia, "We live here."

"Really," asked Yamamoto?

"Well, Lucia and Hanon do," explained Lina, "I have my own house, but I come here a lot."

"And all three of them need to pull more weight around here," cut in a woman with purple spikey hair as she entered with her supper.

"Oh Nikora," said Lucia, "can't you cut a girl a break?"

"So," asked Tsuna after swallowing some noodles, "you all live and work here together."

"That's right," Nikora replied, "but enough about us. Let's celebrate your victory Tsuna." With that, everyone began to chow down. The sauce gave the noodles a smooth texture with a flavor of fresh tomato and garlic. Also, the noodles were soft enough to be cut like butter.

"This tastes great," commented Yamamoto.

"Thank you," replied Nikora, "so, how do you boys like it here?"

"It's a nice town," answered Tsuna, "and we're having a great time."

"Good to hear," smiled Nikora. As he kept eating, Tsuna noticed Lucia starring into the stars.

"Hey, Lucia," he asked, "is something bothering you?"

"Oh," said Lucia with a burst of surprise, "I was just wondering how Kaito was doing in Namimori." Tsuna froze in fear after Lucia's words entered his ears.

"Aw man," he thought, "knowing everyone, I can only imagine what Kaito's been through at my house."

**Wammyman: And that brings this chapter to a close. So by now many of you are probably wondering how Kaito's been holding up. Well, I shall tell you in the form of three chapters that start right after Tsuna leaves Namimori. Tune in next time to learn of Kaito's misadventures. **


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